Appeal 2007-2618
Application 10/713,178
reflecting laser light comprising at least any clamp adapted to mount in any
manner on any hand-held laser welding wand and is selectable from a
plurality of different clamps; and any shield plate coupled to any clamp in
any manner that reflects at least a portion of the reflected laser light and is
selectable from a plurality of different shield plates. Claim 15 does not
require that the shield plate is configured so as not to surround portions of
the laser light that has passed through the aperture of the nozzle of such
hand-held laser welding wand.
The plain language of claim 26 specifies a hand-held laser fusion
welding assembly comprising at least, among other things, a laser reflection
shield coupled to, and at least partially surrounding either the nozzle or the
main body, and constructed at least partially of a material that reflects a
portion of the laser light reflected by the workpiece, wherein the reflection
shield has coupled thereto one or more proximity sensors “configured to
sense a proximity of the laser reflection shield to the workpiece and
operable” to provide a signal representative thereof. Claim 26 does not
require that the shield plate is configured so as not to surround portions of
the laser light that has passed through the aperture of the nozzle. Claim 12,
dependent on claim 1, and claim 24, dependent on claim 15, further limit the
respective independent claims with the same sensor limitation specified in
claim 26.
We find Onodera would have disclosed to one of ordinary skill in this
art a hand-held laser torch assembly for machining workpieces, including
welding, wherein the front-end side of main torch unit 3 of hand-hand laser
assembly 1 is equipped with protective shield 17 that covers the front of
assembly 1 and the workpiece to protect the operator from reflected laser
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